Image recording apparatus

Abstract

An image recording apparatus in which an image is initially recorded on a flexible photosensitive material and is then pressure transferred to an image-receiving material. The drives for the image recording and the pressure transferring are separated so as to reduce the mechanical effect on the imaging either by putting the imaging in a separate unit or by providing separate drives. The supply of photosensitive material from a roll is deflected to a discard bin when the cut length is less than a recording minimum but all action is stopped if the cut length is less than a conveyable minimum. The photosensitive material and the image-receiving material are separated by a pawl controllably swinging into the path of the two material after the pressure transferring operation.

We claim: 
     
       1. An image recording apparatus, comprising: a first unit for forming an image on a photosensitive material coated on a support, said first unit including an image-forming system and supporting means supporting said support during exposure of said photosensitive material; and   a second unit detachably connectable to said first unit, for treating said exposed photosensitive material by pressure, said second unit including first drive means for driving said support means.   
     
     
       2. An image recording apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said image-forming system is an optical system. 
     
     
       3. An image recording apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said second unit further comprises second drive means. 
     
     
       4. An image recording apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising second drive means for said treating means, said first and second drive means being provided with respective first and second drive sources. 
     
     
       5. An image recording apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on a photosensitive material coated on a support and including an optical exposing device having original scanning means, conveying means for said support, and a first drive source for said scanning and conveying means; and   means for pressure transferring said image to said photosensitive material image-receiving material and including pressurizing rolls abutted against each other under pressure and a second drive source for said pressurizing rolls separate from said first drive source.   
     
     
       6. An image recording apparatus, comprising: a roll of photosensitive material;   means for cutting said photosensitive material supplied from said roll to a predetermined length;   means for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material;   means for supplying said cut photosensitive material from said cutting means to said forming means;   means for transferring said latent image from said photosensitive material to an image receiving material overlaid with said photosensitive material;   means for conveying said cut photosensitive material and having a minimum conveyable length;   length detecting means for detecting a length of said photosensitive material delivered from said cutting means; and   control means for inhibiting said supplying means but not said conveying means when said length detecting means detects said detected length to be less than said predetermined length but longer than said minimum conveyable length and for inhibiting said supplying means and said conveying means when said length detecting means detects said detected length to be less than said minimum conveyable length.   
     
     
       7. An image recording apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said conveying means conveys said photosensitive material between said forming means and said transferring means. 
     
     
       8. A method of supplying a photosensitive material and an image-receiving material in an image recording device, in which said photosensitive material is exposed to form an image and said image is transferred onto said image-receiving material, comprising the steps of: cutting a photosensitive material provided in a roll to a predetermined length;   detecting a length of said cut photosensitive material;   supplying said cut photosensitive material to an optical exposure section;   when said detecting step determines said detected length to be less than said predetermined length but longer than a predetermined minimum conveyable length, then interrupting said supplying step and instead conveying said cut photosensitive material to a tray; and   when said detecting step determines said detected length to be less than said predetermined minimum conveyable length, then interrupting both said supplying step and said conveying step.   
     
     
       9. An image recording apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on a photosensitive material coated on a support;   overlaying means for overlaying said photosensitive material and an image-receiving material;   pressure transferring means for transferring said image from said overlaid photosensitive material to said overlaid image-receiving material; and   separating means for separating said overlaid photosensitive material and said image-receiving material positioned downstream of said pressure transferring means, said separating means comprising   conveying rolls for said overlaid photosensitive material and said image-receiving material,   material detecting means for detecting one of said overlaid photosensitive material and said image-receiving material, and   a separating pawl arranged downstream from said conveying rolls swingable into a path of said overlaid photosensitive material and said image-receiving material and operating in response to said material detecting means.   
     
     
       10. An image recording apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said overlaying means positions a downstream side of said photosensitive material to be downstream of a downstream side of said image-receiving material and wherein said separating pawl swings to initially contact said downstream side of said photosensitive material but not said image-receiving material. 
     
     
       11. An image recording apparatus, comprising: means for forming a latent image on a photosensitive material coated on a support;   means for transferring said latent image from said photosensitive material to an image receiving material overlaid with said photosensitive material;   an exposing device comprising at least an image forming system and supporting means for supporting said support, said exposing device provided as one unit; and   a drive source for driving said supporting means to convey said photosensitive material, said drive source being provided separately from said unit of said exposing device.   
     
     
       12. An image recording apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said one unit is detachably connectable to remainder of said apparatus.